The Budget Angler

I've seen some massive pike in this particular lake, I'd say about 10 lbs., so I'll probably start using 50 lb. flouro.

My pb of about 10 lbs. was taken under a bobber by a small mosquitofish. It was post-spawn. My bait was in 3 feet of water. I tend to throw these fishing stereotypes to the wind when fishing. My experience has told me that you could have all the knowledge in the world, do everything right, and get skunked. Or go out, when conditions are horrible for catching fish, and catch a 10 pounder. My advice is try everything!

I assume there are no docks/wood. If there is, big fish love wood. I always look for some type of change, whether it be a different colored sand, or a different type of weed, even. I always look for the oddities.

I'm not completely sure on the bass count, but there's lots of kokanee, perch, and yes, pike. I sighted a dozen different fish, all about 18-24 inches. I can see a ton of abandoned bass beds, and even some new hatchlings.

I use the half-clinch knot, and we use trilene exclusively. Medium drag. When I say nibble, I mean it ate it, chewed on it, then spit it and swam away.

Weedless with small twitches. It may be an off-brand worm, but it looks just like a senko.

I'm so lost in the world of pike I get dizzy, lol!

I was out with my parents and my mom gets a bite, sets the hook, and the line snaps. She reels it up and it is a clean break, as in it wasn't a bad knot. we lost 3 more setups, presumably to pike. That was with a red senko with green flakes and a chartreuse tail, something that usually slaughters the bass. We tried the lead we had with senkos, but the action sucked. I almost caught a nice one on a worm while catching perch, but it swam away after nibbling.

I fish for bass in Montana and when I find a bass lake, it seems pike always follow. I am terrified of losing lures, so I use a 40 lb. steel lead, but never catch the bass people claim are so numerous. Add Tag I was born in CA and grew up bass fishing, however, CA doesn't have pike, so you never worried about bite-offs. I also tend to use light line (6 lb. mono) on bass, just cause I don't have to switch when I want to go for trout. I know I'm supposed to use 10-15, but I'm too lazy, lol. How do I catch bass on the same lakes as these pike without scaring them away? The action just never seems right. Cranks turn over, as do swimbaits, and spinner don't spin as freely. I am planning many summer trips to these lakes and am ready for some good old bassin'!